This year's Champions League Final between Juventus and the defending
champions Real Madrid has the makings to be one of the most exciting and
intense finale in quite some time. There are far too many storylines to touch on without writing a novel, but some of the
more important ones revolve around some of the finest players to ever grace
a soccer pitch.

Real Madrid's quest to capture their 12th Champions League title
has been spearheaded by the lethal finishing of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has
had a whirlwind last 12 months. Ronaldo followed up last year's Champions
League triumph by leading Portugal to their first-ever international trophy
at the Euros, which took place last summer in France. He followed that up
by winning the Ballon D'or (Best Player Award) and then wrestling the La
Liga title away from Barcelona for the first time in two seasons. For a
player who has always been overshadowed by his rival Leo Messi, a win in
this year's final could finally earn Ronaldo a little more respect than he
is constantly shown.

However, it's not going to be easy for Real Madrid to unlock one of the
stingiest defensive sides I've ever come across. Gianluigi Buffon is a
legend and widely considered one of the greatest - if not THE greatest -
goalkeeper to play the game. He has backstopped Juventus to six consecutive
Serie A titles and has shown no signs of slowing down despite turning 39
this past January. Buffon will be looking capture the elusive Champions
League trophy for the first time in his career after losing in 2003 and
2015 to AC Milan and Barcelona, respectively.

Currently, the odds are slightly in favor of Real Madrid at +150. Juventus
sit at +175, while the draw option is an enticing +205. If you're a bettor
like me who hates getting burned by the tie option, I would recommend
taking the -120 on Real Madrid to "lift the cup" or the +100 on Juventus to
do the same. The total for this game is set at 2, -155 to the "over". With
the amount of attacking options both teams possess, it would be almost
impossible to recommend taking the "under" despite the +115 tag.

There are very few teams in the world that are as stingy as Juventus is
defensively. They are led by the core trio of Buffon, Chiellini and
Bonucci, and in the 42 games Buffon has started they have conceded only 28
goals. Prior to a last-minute consolation goal for Monaco in the second leg
of the semifinals, the Turin giants held a 689-minute streak where they
conceded no goals. That's an impressive run in any league and it's an even
more impressive feat when it's done against the best teams in the world. To
make matters worse for opponents, Juventus' wingbacks (Sandro and Alves)
have proved to be a revelation this season. Alves almost single-handily
beat Monaco, contributing one goal and two assists in that semifinal
matchup. Sandro failed to get on the scorecard, but his work rate in both
halves is second to none. Further up the pitch, the midfield of Juventus is
comprised of two defensive-minded players such as Pjanic and Khedira and
three attacking options with Madzukic and Cuadrado flanking Dybala in the
middle. Pjanic and Khedira will need to have a solid game, control the
tempo and limit the amount of time and space Real Madrid has to maneuver
with the ball.

On the flip side, Real Madrid has a much better midfield trio than they do
a defensive backline. Los Blancos has conceded an absurd 49 goals in 40
games when Navas starts in goal. They've only kept seven clean sheets. And
despite world class players like Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane in the
heart of the backline, the team's defensive systems are severely flawed.
Ramos has a knack for making one or two mistakes per game, but he seemingly
always makes up for them in the offensive half with a big goal or assist.
His teammate, Marcelo - widely regarded as one of the best wingbacks in the
world - will wreak havoc down the left-hand side. He has the ability to
push the ball up field and the talent to make dazzling runs or pick a
superb pass. The midfield for Real Madrid is controlled by Luka Modric and
Toni Kroos, both of whom are vital parts to both club and country success.
They will need to have a solid game and pick the right passes against a
Juventus defense that can quickly turn an intercepted pass into a
high-octane counter attack.

Attacking Options

For those who follow domestic and international soccer on a regular basis,
you will already know that Gonzalo Higuainis is often lazy and unable to
score in the games that matter (see 2014 World Cup Final against Germany).
Higuain missed a slew of chances in regulation and Argentina ultimately
lost the game in extra time. When Juventus lured him away from Napoli on a
big-money contract, most Juventus supporters had nothing but negative
things to say about the deal. Higuain quickly shut them up and proved his
worth by scoring 32 goals in 53 games. He put to rest his "unable to
deliver in big games" rep by scoring two against Monaco, which all but
guaranteed Juventus' trip to Cardiff for this Final. His teammate, Paulo
Dybala, is gaining superstar status with every big game he plays in. The
little Argentine stands all of 5-foot-9, but his creativity on the ball and
knack for turning nothing into something has him linked to other massive
clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester United. Dybala is only 23, and if
Juventus ever feel the need to cash in on him then he would break the
transfer-fee record. Until then, Juventus are reaping the rewards and are
hoping the two Argentinians can produce some magic and lead the Old Lady to
victory.

Real Madrid's most lethal attacking option needs no introduction. Ronaldo
poured in 25 goals in 29 games in La Liga and has added 10 goals in 12
Champions League fixtures. His hat trick in the first leg of the semifinals
against Atletico Madrid was CR7's second hattrick in as many CL games and
his eighth goal over the last three such fixtures. The most impressive part
of Ronaldo's scoring ability is that he does it in a variety of ways. He
can beat you off the dribble and unleash a rocket, or he can likely jump
higher than the opposing center-backs and score a header goal and he also
has the soccer IQ to poach a few goals from the six-yard box. His teammate,
Karim Benzema, has had a down season for his standards, scoring just 16
goals in the CL and La Liga combined. His presence in the middle of the
attacking line draws defenders towards him, which allows both wingers
(Ronaldo and either Isco or Gareth Bale) to run at defenders in a
one-on-one situation.

At the end of the day, this Champions League Final has the makings to be an
instant classic. On one side, you have a high-scoring, free-wheeling Madrid
team who knows they can probably outscore you to win games, while Juventus
boasts one of the best defensive units (including goalkeeper) in the world
today.

Free Play from Doc's Sports.
#427 Take Atlanta Falcons +1
over Pittsburgh Steelers
(Sunday 4 pm) The Steelers
were a big underdog last
week
and beat the Giants
straight-up. Now we see an
overreaction for the line in
this game Sunday afternoon.
Atlanta dominated much of
their week 1 game against
Miami before a late rally by
the Dolphins scoring the
last 13 points to win by
three points. Atlanta had
three quarterbacks in that
game complete 100% of their
passes and they will win
this game straight
up. Now we see an
overreaction for the line in
this game Sunday afternoon.
Atlanta dominated much of
their week 1 game against
Miami before a late rally by
the Dolphins scoring the
last
13 points to win by three
points. Atlanta had three
quarterbacks in that game
complete 100% of their
passes
and they will win this game
straight-up. Do not miss out
on Doc's Sports Week 2 NFL
Exhibition card featuring
multiple selections that
will
produce plenty of profits
for
their customers. Read MoreRead Less

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